Stolen vehicle leads to arrest of Atwater man on drug and gun charges, police say
A search of a stolen vehicle led to the seizure of narcotics and a gun and the Friday arrest of a 32-year-old Atwater man, according to police.
On Wednesday, a Merced police officer located an unoccupied stolen vehicle that had a LoJack tracking device on it. The vehicle was recovered in the U-haul parking lot in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced, according to a social media post by the Merced Police Department.
During the recovery of the vehicle, the officer said he located 4 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl tablets and a firearm.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Juan Barajas of Atwater.
Officers conducted a probation search at Barajas’ residence on Friday and said an additional pound of methamphetamine and 6 pounds of marijuana were found there.
Barajas was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl tablets with the intent to distribute, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was booked at the Merced County Jail and his bail is set at $165,500, according to jail records.
Merced police are asking anyone with any information to contact Officer Matthew Calcagno at 209-385-6905 or calcagnom@cityofmerced.org.
